2011-10-07

I just found out my over 3 year old out of contract iPhone is locked
on Rogers, for ever! There is no simple way to unlock it without
jail-breaking it.
So I've decided to to buy the 4S, unlocked, directly from Apple. If Imove or a company expands their network, or suddenly suffers fromcongestion, I want (need?) the flexibility. Not being able to use myiPhone at my new home, because I live on the wrong side of thebuilding, would be a costly mistake. And coverage varies incrediblybetween Rogers and Bell/Telus.
But the cost. Ouch! Sticker shock is real when you pay up-front. $650and a significant contribution to hospital care via the HST. Worse, onthe main Telus, Bell and Rogers providers, there is no price planadvantage to having your own phone. For that you have to go pre-paidor second tier (Koodo, Virgin or Fido). Note that the iPhone is notcompatible with Wind, Mobilicity or Vidéotron.
If you are like me, you don't talk on your phone much. You probablydon't need that much data either (text is not very data intensive atall). But you could, you might. And as you probably know, cell phoneplans are relatively cheap as long as you get the right bucket. Spillover and it will co$t you. Over-estimate your usage, you will end upthrowing your money out the window, every month, for the duration ofyour contract.
I have an extended battery pack for my iPhone 3G, I love the iPhoneand the Internet, but have never gotten anywhere close to using my 6GBallowance, even when trying (Netflix and YouTube marathons, tetheringmy computer...).
The coverage with Rogers in Moncton is great. But as most Maritimers,I spend a significant amount of time out of the city. The Bell/Telusrural data coverage is vastly superior in Atlantic Canada. So pricebeing equal, Rogers is out.
But being a Maritimer, price is of vital importance. Salaries areridiculously low here, so money is always an issue (I have colleagueswho use food banks to help the feed their kids!).
Spend some time doing your own research and calculations for your ownperceived "needs". With the Internet, researching prices is somewhateasy (if you have a degree, you should do fine). But you will quicklyconcluded that confuse-economics is alive and well in the cell phonebusiness, even more so with smartphones.
I've decided to go with the unlocked iPhone 4S from Apple and a Koodo(aka Telus cheap brand) $15 Canada wide voice and flex data plan.
(Via iPhone)

2011-10-02

I am of the opinion that potential immigrants to Canada who speak English and French should be given more points. Potential immigrants who speak neither should be given less (ie, none).

Lack of local language skills is the number one irritant and probably the number one obstacle to integrating Canadian life. Even if they are fluent in English or French, they are at a significant disadvantage over other Canadians who took French or English as a second language in high school.